When I was younger, I was told by a highly respected member of my family that I would not amount to anything, and that I would never see the four walls of a university. Because my teachers from grade school onwards believed in me, I now devote myself to student success. When I walk into the classroom as Professor of History, I feel fulfilled: a sea of students waiting for my American Government or History of American Civilization courses fills me with joy.

Even though the words from my youth pained me deeply, I have overcome: so far in my academic career, I have written and published well over 40 articles and commentaries. I have recently published a book detailing how African Americans in Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore shaped the commercial poultry industry there - Commercial Poultry Production on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore: The Role of African Americans, 1930s to 1990s.